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From Draft to Dream (and a list of upcoming releases)

Monday, July 19th, 2010

by Dame Devon

The Dame readers have asked great questions over the last couple days. Please keep those questions coming! We might not get to it today, but we’ll try to pull questions and dedicate a full post to them, or answer questions in the comments. Feel free to ask us here on the site, or send us an email to the address, right over there on the right column. No question is too large/small/silly/serious, so ask away!

Today’s questions:
Amy R. asks: “When you’re writing your first draft, and it doesn’t seem like it’s matching up with that you have in your head, how do you keep from deleting it or throwing it out?”

Wonderful question, Amy! There are probably as many answers for this as there are writers. Here are eight tips:
1. Walk away. When a draft is so frustrating that all you want to do is throw it across the room, it’s time to step away from the keyboard.
2. Save the file. Even if you think it’s garbage. You never know when you’ll want to go back and ressurrect the story, or maybe dip in and steal a character or a descriptive line.
3.Come back to it in a couple days, a week, a month. You might see the good amidst the cringe-worthy and be able to roll up your sleeves and get the story going again.
4. Get an outside opinion. Sometimes the author is the least capable person on the planet to make an accurate judgement call on the quality of their prose.
5. Try again. If the story is so far off from what you want it to be, save it and start fresh. Focus on the core of the story–the spark of wonder that made you want to write it–and write until you feel you have your feet under you again.
6. Accept that your story probably never will live up to your vision. It is common for writers to feel they have yet to write something that matches the vision, emotion, scope and quality of what they had in mind for it. There will always be a slight dream-like disconnect between our imagining brain’s vision, and our writing brain’s power to express that vision with words. It is what makes us strive to improve no matter how long we have been writing.
7. Finish the story to discover the story. You can’t fully know what the story is until you write The End. At that point, you can look from beginning to end, and see what the story wanted to say, what it wanted to become. Maybe it’s exactly what you had in mind. Maybe it’s wildly different.
8. Keep trying. Keep writing. Keep going. Trying and failing and trying again isn’t bad. It’s the way we become intimate with story, our writing process, and the struts and trusses our dreams are built upon. Remember: “It’s the writing that teaches you.” –Isaac Asimov

And the second question from Jess: When are your next releases? (All of you.)

Great question, Jess, thanks for asking! Here’s a fairly comprehensive list of what the Dames have cooking:

Upcoming Releases (as of July 2010)

Keri Arthur
MERCY BURNS – May 2011
Debut novel (Dark Angels series) - August 2011

Toni Andrews/Virginia Reede
Book 3 (Carnal Magic) by Virgina Reede – 2010
Nocturne novel (Mercy Hollings 4) – 2011
“Nativitas” THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF FUTURISTIC ROMANCE – 2011

Jenna Black
SHADOWSPELL (Faeriewalker 2) – January 4, 2011
DARK DESCENDANT (new adult urban fantasy series, Pocket Books) – April 26, 2011
“Nine-tenths of the Law”(Morgan Kingsley, urban fantasy anthology, TOR Books) – May 2011

Jackie Kessler
HOTTER THAN HELL mass-market paperback – September 2010
HUNGER (The Horsemen of the Apocalypse/Riders’ Quartet) – October 18, 2010
“To Hell With Love” THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF PARANORMAL ROMANCE 2 – winter 2010/2011
“Hell Bound” THOSE WHO FIGHT MONSTERS – March 2011
RAGE (The Horsemen of the Apocalypse/Riders’ Quartet) – spring 2011
“Hell’s Fury” THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF HOT ROMANCE – spring 2011
“Where We Are Is Hell” AFTER HOURS: TALES FROM THE UR-BAR – spring 2011

Karen Mahoney
“The Spirit Jar” (Moth 2) KISS ME DEADLY – August 3, 2010
“Dear Diary…” essay - WELCOME TO MYSTIC FALLS (anthology devoted to The Vampire Diaries) – October 2010
THE IRON WITCH – February 1, 2011

Devon Monk
A CUP OF NORMAL (short story collection) – September 2010
MAGIC AT THE GATE (Allie Beckstrom 5) – November 2010
MAGIC ON THE HUNT (Allie Beckstrom 6) – April 2011
DEAD IRON (The Age of Steam 1) – July 2011

Lilith Saintcrow
JEALOUSY (Strange Angels 3) – July 29, 2010
HEAVEN’S SPITE (Jill Kismet 5) – November 2010

Rachel Vincent
“Fearless” KISS ME DEADLY – August 3, 2010
ALPHA (Shifters 6) – September 28, 2010
Untitled (Tod’s) online novella – December 1, 2010
MY SOUL TO STEAL (Soul Screamers 4) – January 1, 2011
IF I DIE (Soul Screamers 5) – June 1, 2011
Debut novel (untitled adult series) – September 1, 2011 (date tentative)
“Hunt ” (urban fantasy anthology, TOR Books) – May 2011

Tags: Book Release, deadline dames, Devon Monk, Jackie Kessler, Jenna Black, Karen Mahoney, Keri Arthur, Lilith Saintcrow, Questions, Rachel Vincent, readers, Rinda Elliott, Toni Andrews, writing
Posted in Ask a Question, Book Release, Devon Monk, General Posts, Jackie Kessler, Jenna Black, Karen Mahoney, Keri Arthur, Lilith Saintcrow, Rachel Vincent, Rinda Elliott, Toni Andrews, writing tips | 5 Comments »

It’s Pick My Brain Time!

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Dame Lili

It’s time for a Friday post. But this Friday, I’m going to do something a little different.

From now until teatime–4pm PST here at Casa Saintcrow–I’ll be checking into this post regularly and answering your questions about writing in the comments. I figure most of you have listened to me pontificate for long enough, and this will also give me an idea of what sorts of things you’d like me to cover in future Friday Writing posts.

Now, we’ve got to have some rules (more like guidelines) to keep things from devolving into anarchy, right? I like anarchy as much as the next girl, but the guidelines, they are a necessary evil.

~~Rules~~Guidelines

* Play nice. I reserve the right to ban or delete.
* The subject today is writing. If you have questions about my work, check my FAQ.
* Don’t ask me if I’ll read your novel/short/query/whatever or do critique. Please.
* You guys know me. My advice is geared toward the people who want to hopefully aim for making a living from writing for publication. If your aims are different, fine–but keep in mind I’m going to answer according to my lights.
* No honest question is too silly. But please understand if I fall behind on replies–it’s not personal, I have a finite amount of time today.
* Have some fun and offer your own expertise! Mine is not the only route, and I’ll get just as much from this as you will.

All right. You’ve got some questions, I’ll answer as best I can. Pick my brain. Let’s tango.

Tags: readers, writing
Posted in Ask a Question, Lilith Saintcrow, Writer's Life | 44 Comments »

To E or not to E and other questions…

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Today I’m opening up the blog for questions. Ask any Dame anything you want, and we’ll try to answer either in this post or in a future post. If there’s something about our site you’d like to see more of, please let us know!

And now, I have a question for you. There has been a lot of talk in the publishing industry about ebooks lately. I haven’t ever read an ebook. I don’t own an e-reader of any sort , not even an app on my phone. All of my screen time is work time, so reading a book on my computer (which I have done to blurb other writers’ books) always feels a little like work time to me.

But recently, I watched Penguin’s short video on how they imagine ebooks should look. They show a sample of children’s books, non-fiction, travel, fiction and more. Have you seen it? Here’s the link. I’ll wait while you go check it out. It’s worth watching all the way to the end.

Penguin’s I-Pad

Wow, right? I like a lot of the extra features that ebooks can carry, but I’m still undecided on if it would be enough to make me trade paper for digital.

How about you?
Have you ever read an ebook?
Do you want to?
What device do you use or what device do you think you’d like?
What do you like about the reading experience (either with paper or with electronic books)?

And remember–if you have any questions for the Dames, please feel free to ask!

Tags: Devon Monk, Ebooks, readers
Posted in Ask a Question, Devon Monk | 25 Comments »

Thank you, Dear Readers

Monday, January 4th, 2010

by Dame Devon

I love reading. It has always been an escape for me, literally since before I started school. It was my love of reading that made me want to be a writer. I wanted to give other readers that same kind of escape, give them a few hours away from the worries and pain of the real world.

To me, authors were magicians with words. I had (still have) fan-girl crushes on my favorite writers.

But I never once thought about writing them a letter to tell them how much I enjoyed their books. I don’t know why that never crossed my mind. I guess I just assumed a writer would be too noble, too grand to want to read a note from me.

I was wrong.

Times have a-turned and now I find myself wearing the writer hat. I still think writers are magicians with words, but now that I’m behind the curtains, I realize we’re magicians who are constantly practicing new spells. Sometimes we get them right, sometimes they blow up in our face, turn our shoes into frogs, or become bestsellers. We aren’t so much grand and noble, as just people working hard to turn ink into butterflies.

And we do like receiving letters from readers.

95% of my emails from readers are people telling me they enjoyed my books and thanking me for being a writer. I love those emails. I think all writers love those emails. About 2% of my emails are people asking me a question about my books. Why did I choose X, how many more books in the series, why can’t I write faster, etc.. 2% of my emails are people asking for writing advice or help. I love both of those kinds of emails too.

Which leaves me with the other 1%.

That last 1% of my emails are people who didn’t like my books, or my character, or my cover art, or my writing style. That last 1% is angry. That last 1% is demanding. That last 1% is bitterly disappointed in my career choice. And that 1% needs to vent their anger. A lot.

Now, I have no problem with freedom of speech. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I’ll stand up and fight for that truth. I don’t have a problem that some people need to send angry emails to other people.

But if you’re thinking about writing as a career, you’ll need to be aware that you will work long hours. You will give up downtime with your family. You will give up visits with friends, hobbies, and sleep. You will receive good reviews and letters and feedback.

You will also receive scorching reviews, angry emails, and criticism. This will not happen when you are rested and calm and in a reasonable mind. This will happen when you are a year into worrying if your book will sell well, very near a nervous break down, are in the middle of trying to finish another book that you hate, have heard other authors’s books are doing far better than yours, and the cat/kid/dog just barfed on your lap.

No matter if that email makes you sad, or furious, or discouraged, you, the writer, may not ever, ever, ever reply with even a whiff of irritation.

Yes, anyone can privately or publicly badmouth you or your work. But the other way? Nope. Not allowed. You can’t correct a reviewer who might not have finished reading your book before reviewing, or perhaps skimmed it, missing (and making up) half of the plot that actually isn’t there. You can’t send a retort to a reader who hands you a list of things they didn’t like and demands or threatens you if you don’t address said things. You can’t discuss whether a political, emotional, or moral theme a reader takes offense to, was or wasn’t actually in the text.

So, what’s a writer to do? Mostly, just accept it for what it is. Anger, disappointment, scorn, those are all certainly understandable reactions to any human experience, and we’re all human. Not everyone is going to like what you write. Some people will be angry about it, and will need to share that anger with you.

It’s a part of being a published writer. You never stop receiving criticism, or being judged and rejected. No matter how successful you are.

But here’s the thing that makes all those angry emails fade away: one thank you letter. Readers who take the time out of their busy lives to tell writers how much they enjoyed a book are made of gold. And those are the readers every author hopes to reach and entertain for years to come.

So, today, at the beginning of the new year, I want to say, thank you, from all the Dames to all the readers out there. Those of you who pass a good book on to a friend–thank you. Those of you who ask your library to stock the books you like–thank you. Those of you who give thoughtful reviews and recommendations–thank you.

And those of you who take the time to send your favorite writers a note of appreciation–you have more than our thanks. You have our gratitude.

Tags: Devon Monk, readers, writers, writing
Posted in Devon Monk, Writer's Life | 13 Comments »

Readers On Deadline (ROD) #2

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

Dame Rinda

Readers on Deadline is a new Deadline Dame monthly feature. Each month, we’ll post an intriguing image and invite readers to be inspired and share the results in up to 250 words right here in the comments. The Dames will pick the one that most intrigues us, post that entry in the next ROD day along with a link to that writer/reader’s site. And you get a prize!

The first ROD last month was such a success! We were thrilled, absolutely thrilled with the response and I must say that narrowing down the finalists was difficult. Took a little while. You guys have serious talent. In the end, we found ourselves very intrigued by Edward G. Talbot’s 1st person vampire feeding on catatonics at an insane asylum. Just what would catatonic blood do to a vampire???

Very cool. Congrats Edward! Email your address to our contact email in the right sidebar to claim Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs and Eternal Lover by our own Dame Jackie!

Edward G. Talbot (website)
     Only one way out. That’s what they told me. Serene Meadows Hospital for the Criminally Insane might look like some highbrow university, but the security rivals Attica. As Jim Morrison once crooned, no one here gets out alive.
      I’m Randolph Givens, and I’ve been here three years. I shouldn’t be here. Don’t get me wrong, I did bite those eight people, and a bunch of others. But I’m not insane. They just didn’t believe that my fangs only come out when I’m hungry. Those assholes in the press started calling me the Count of Death.
     Anyway, until today, I was stuck here. Transforming into mist to seep under the doors takes serious energy, and jugulars have been short supply. I couldn’t just chow down and expect it to go unnoticed. But last month I moved to the ward with the catatonics. Five meals later, I was ready to fly.
      The problems started near the road. My shape wouldn’t come back. I leaned against a tree, gasping with the effort. I staggered forward and fell to one knee. I guess I couldn’t undo three years of starving in a month. I needed to sleep. But if I slept now, I’d wake up burning death with the morning sun.
      I managed a few more steps. Maybe I could get it together. I felt solid pavement under my feet. And then a loud honk. I looked up into two blinding lights, almost on top of me. And then nothing.

And here is the next ROD image! I embedded it like this so you can pull up a much larger version. It has a lot of fascinating detail to explore. Click on it to see it on the Deviant Art website and click once more to enlarge.

f l o o d by =inception8 on deviant ART

The Dames were happy to get permission from Darren M. Boudreau, the artist, for our April ROD! (website) I know we have steampunk fans here and there are some great images in that genre, too, so check out his website.

Deadline for your entries is next Wednesday, April 15th and the winner along with the new ROD image will be posted on the second Wednesday next month. Put your entries into the comments. This month’s prize is one of these two version of the Mmm….Brains cap! For wearing on those days you’re dead on your feet, have a deadline and don’t want to mess with your hair.

HAVE FUN!!!!!

Tags: deadline, prize, readers, writing
Posted in Readers On Deadline, Rinda Elliott | 21 Comments »

Posts Tagged ‘readers’

From Draft to Dream (and a list of upcoming releases)